A safety manual

CHILDRENCARS&

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!KNOWLEDGE SAVES LIVESAll parents want to give their children the best possible

protection. In the car as well as everywhere else. Even so,

children are still suffering injuries or even dying because

of incorrectly fitted child seats, or because the type of

child restraint they were using was wrong for their age,

height and weight. Or – even worse – because they were

travel ling completely unrestrained in a car.

The cause of the problem is often simply a lack of

knowledge. People sometimes think they have fitted a

child seat correctly, when in fact they haven’t. They may

think that a child can safely switch from a rearward-facing

seat to facing forwards at the age of just one or two years.

When it shouldn’t. They may think they have adjusted the

safety belt correctly. When they haven’t.

EASY TO GET IT WRONG

One Swedish survey revealed that only 40% of three-

year-olds had a rearward-facing child seat, whereas all

three-year-olds should still be using seats which face the

back of the car.

The same survey found that some users of booster

cushions placed the diagonal belt under the arm instead

of across the shoulder. Many parents were un aware

CHILDREN SHOULD

STILL BE USING

REARWARD-FACING

SEATS AT THE AGE

OF THREE

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5

!that the lap section of the safety belt should go across

the top of the child’s thighs, not across the stomach.

A few children were even sitting in the lap of the driver

or other passengers.

Airbags were another area where serious gaps were

found in parental knowledge. Over half the parents

interviewed were unaware that children should not sit in

a seat with a frontal airbag (unless the airbag has been

switched off).

This publication has been devised to help parents

become better informed about the safety of children in

cars. It should provide answers to many of the questions

that new parents and parents-to-be often ask.

THE MOTHER-TO-BEWomen sometimes ask whether it would be better not

to use a safety belt when they’re pregnant. They fear that

the belt could harm their unborn baby in some way. The

answer to this question is that they should definitely use

a safety belt at all times, right up until the birth.

Equally important is the need to wear it correctly.

l The safety belt should be positioned as close to

the wearer’s body as possible. Check also that it has

not twisted.

PREGNANT WOMEN

SHOULD GO ON USING

SAFETY BELTS, RIGHT

UP UNTIL THE BIRTH

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l The safety belt should be taut against the shoulder,

with the diagonal section of the belt between the

breasts and along the side of the belly.

l The hip section of the belt should be flat against the

side of the thigh, as low as possible below the belly.

The belt is not to slide up across the belly.

l Make sure you are sitting in a comfortable position

– you should be able to easily reach the steering

wheel and the pedals, at the same time as the dis-

tance between the steering wheel and upper body

– your torso – should be as great as possible.

Add-on devices are available to help position the

safety belt for pregnant women. However, they are not

developed in conjunction with the restraint systems in

the different vehicles and there is, as yet, no evidence

that safety belt positioners actually improve user safety

in crashes. In fact, they might even be a hazard by intro-

ducing slack to the safety belt.

THE PREGNANT CRASH-TEST DUMMYToday researchers and car manufacturers have com-

prehensive knowhow about how adults and children are

best protected in the event of road accidents. There is

also research into how best to protect an unborn baby

in an accident, although there is still more to learn in

this area.

Since 2001, researchers at Volvo Car Group have

studied pregnant women’s special needs as regards

safety and comfort. One result of this work is the

development of a unique computerised model of a

pregnant woman.

This computer model is used to increase the under-

standing of how pregnant women can be protected in a

collision. Together with data from real road accidents,

this model is used in the development and evaluation

of car safety.

Head injuries are one of the injury categories not-

ed in unborn babies involved in car crashes, both fatal

and non-fatal. The most frequently documented cause

of death in the unborn, however, is the partial or total

detachment of the placenta from the wall of the uterus,

which prevents the foetus from getting enough oxygen.

The question is, why? Researchers think that the

uterus itself is elastic enough to withstand the deforma-

tion caused by the crash forces, but that the placenta is

not equally elastic and therefore not as resilient.

What is perfectly plain, however, is the fact that

pregnant women should always use their safety belts.

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!THE BELT IS NOT

TO SLIDE UP ACROSS

THE BELLY

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! BABY’S FIRST JOURNEYFor most babies, their first car ride is the drive home

from the maternity unit. It’s an exciting but still rather

jittery time for most. A new little person has come into

the world. And a new life is beginning for the parents and

any older siblings too.

Ahead of you is a new routine, punctuated by feeds,

sleeps both short and long, and nappy changing. Most

things will have been planned and prepared for, but there

will always be a few details to iron out.

One thing which really must be planned for is that

first journey home. Right from the start, your baby needs

to have his or her own baby seat – properly anchored,

correctly fitted and facing the rear of the car. This baby

seat will provide good protection for the first few months

of the baby’s life.

The seat should always be the right size for the baby.

When the baby has grown to such an extent that its head

reaches the top of its seat or beyond, the time has come

to change to a bigger one.

You can, of course, move your baby to a bigger seat

earlier than this. There are other kinds of rearward- facing

child car seat which provide equally good protection for a

growing baby. But they must always be of a suitable size

for your baby at the time.

BABIES SHOULD

ALWAYS TRAVEL

IN REARWARD-

FACING SEATS

TESTED CAR SEATS

Any parent who has ever chosen a car seat for a baby

will agree that it is no easy task. Volvo Car Group has

its own range of child seats that are tried and tested in

cars to ensure that they meet strict demands on safety,

usage and installation. There are in addition many other

manufacturers and brands on the market. Many of them

featuring different methods of attaching and securing

the child seat.

This can result in parents buying a seat that is not the

most optimal for their particular car. Or they may find

that the seat they have bought is harder to fit correctly.

AN INTERNATIONAL STANDARD

The car industry had long been aware of this problem,

realising the need for a single standard to ensure that

all types of child seat can be used in any car and to re-

duce the likelihood of incorrect installation. In 1999, inter-

national cooperation between car manufacturers, child

seat manu facturers, public authorities and other stake-

holders result ed in ISOFix – an international standard for

anchoring child seats in vehicles.

The ISOFix system consists of a specification for the

child seat attachments and a corresponding specifica-

tion for vehicle anchorages. Two anchorage points are

built into the car between the backrest and seat cush-

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ion. A seat base can be attached securely in place using

these anchorage points, and the baby or child seat can

then be quickly and easily attached or detached. Also, a

third anchorage point ”top tether” is positioned on top

of the seat. When required by the child seat this should

be used as well.

Some types of ISOFix seats do not require a separate

base. Instead they are attached directly into the car’s an-

chorage points. Depending on the market, ISOFix child

seat connectors are rigid, allowing for a click-in installa-

tion, or non-rigid, using latches for attachment.

ISOFix anchorage points are to be found in all new cars

in most markets. They can also be added to many Volvo

models if they were not originally fitted as standard.

The number of different child seats available with ISO-

Fix attachments is steadily increasing, but there is still

a wider range of seat types secured by the car’s safety

belts on offer.

FAQS ON BABIES IN CARSWhat should I look for when choosing a baby seat?

The seat must be suitable for your car. The information

pack that comes with the seat should clearly identify

the car models for which the seat is compatible.

There are also seats that suit all car models. This

information too should be clearly stated in the infor-

mation that comes with the seat.

What do I need to think about when buying

a second-hand baby seat?

Don’t buy a second-hand baby seat unless it is a relatively

new one. Make sure that any seat you buy is undamaged,

has the right type approval label, and that all its fittings

and installation instructions are supplied with it.

How do you fit a baby seat?

Follow the specific instructions carefully. If you

encounter any problems, ask the seat retailer for help.

What is ISOFix?

A standardised anchorage system for baby and child

seats. The ISOFix system is known as LATCH in the

United States and UAS in Canada.

Is ISOFix safer?

It is as safe as using the safety belt, if it is correctly

attached and tightened.

Is a strapped-in carrycot a safe alternative?

No, it is not a safe alternative. The carrycot may be fixed

in place, but the baby inside it will not be properly

restrained.

Is a transversal infant bed a safe alternative?

For small children that need to lie down in a flat position

at all times (e.g. some premature babies), make sure to

use an infant bed that is certified for this purpose.

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A rearward-facing baby seat should be used as soon as

the baby can lie in it, as facing the rear is always a safer

alternative.

What is the best place in the car for a baby seat?

In a Volvo, all passenger seat positions are equally safe,

but there will probably be other factors influencing

your choice of location. Many people prefer to have

their baby within reach, i.e. in the front passenger seat.

However, if there is an activated passenger airbag in

front of that seat, the baby seat must definitely not be

installed there, leaving the rear seat as the only option

if the front seat has an activated passenger airbag.

In some cars, the passenger airbag can be switched

off when required. Your car may have a switch for this

purpose – check the owner’s manual for instructions. If

there is no switch of this kind, one option could be to

have the airbag permanently disabled at an authorised

dealership.

Can you be sure that the airbag really has been

switched off or disabled?

Yes, the Volvo Passenger Airbag Cut Off Switch

(PACOS) is safe and reliable. But you do have to check

carefully that the switch is definitely in the OFF

position. If you have any doubts about whether the

airbag is really disabled, contact your authorised

dealership. Check the options for your brand of car and

the regulations that apply in your country.

For Volvo models in the USA there is a sensor in the

seat that switches off the airbag if a child seat or a child

is placed in the front seat.

Do side airbags pose any risk to the baby?

No, not in a Volvo. The baby will not come into contact

with side airbags if it is correctly strapped into an

appropriate rearward-facing baby seat.

Why must babies travel in rearward-facing seats?

A baby’s head is large and heavy in relation to the rest

of its body, and its neck is still far from fully developed.

If the baby were to travel in a forward-facing seat,

its neck would be highly vulnerable to the forces acting

on it in the event of a frontal collision.

How long should we go on using the baby seat?

The most important thing is that the seat used should

be suitable for the size of the baby at the time, in order

to give it the support it needs.

Once the baby has grown so that its head reaches

the top of its baby seat or beyond, the time has come

to move it to a rearward-facing seat for a larger child.

What should I do if my baby doesn’t want to sit in

its seat?

Stop and take a break. It can be a good idea to take a

brand new baby seat indoors and let the baby first get

used to it at home.

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! CRASH-TEST DUMMIESThe world’s first crash-test dummy was called Sierra Sam.

The size of an adult male of large build, he was made in

1949 to test ejector seats for the US Air Force.

In 1956 the Air Force shared its findings with the

auto motive industry. The first dummy to be developed

specifically for research on car crashes appeared six

years later.

Today’s crash dummies have little in common with

Sierra Sam. All the early ones were rather rudimentary,

built to confirm that safety systems such as safety belts

were effective. They had few measurement points, and

were not very much like humans at all.

SOPHISTICATED ELECTRONICS

Modern crash-test dummies, however, are built to res pond

much more like humans. They have the same weight, size

and proportions as the type of human they are made to

simulate. Their heads are designed to react like real heads,

as are other parts of their anatomy such as the neck, the

knees and the thorax.

On the inside they have advanced electronic equip-

ment for measuring acceleration/deceleration, displace-

ments and the various loads and forces to which the body

is subjected in a crash.

Crash-test dummies come in many sizes and types

A KEY ROLE IN

SAFETY RESEARCH

AND DEVELOPMENT

these days. Most are used in frontal crash tests, but there

are also dummies developed for testing in side-on and

rear-end crashes.

The type used most often was developed to repre-

sent a mid-sized adult male. There is also an extra tall

and heavy variant of the male dummy, but the adult

female dummy is remarkably small and petite. So petite

that she is also used to represent an average twelve-

year-old.

Besides this dual-purpose twelve-year-old/woman,

there are other child dummies representing children

aged ten, six and three years, as well as babies of eighteen,

twelve, nine and six months, and new-born babies.

MEASURING WHAT HAPPENS

Acceleration is measured to find out how quickly some-

thing slows down or, in crash-test dummies, to find out

just how the human body is restrained and when a car

either collides with something or is hit by another vehicle.

Displacement measurements are used, for example, to

study compression of the human thorax. Bending motions

of various parts of the body are studied, as well as the loads

to which they are subjected.

Force measurements can be used to find out more

about how vertebrae in the neck are affected in a crash.

Measurements like these allow researchers and en-

gineers to amass a broad spectrum of data and to draw

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conclusions on the probable effects of road crashes on

humans.

NEW CARS ARE SAFER

The automotive industry has long been at the forefront of

crash-test dummy development, and the pace of safety

research development is increasing all the time.

Volvo’s own on-going research into the outcomes of

actual road crashes shows that the risk of injury among

people who have crashes in cars built in early 2000 or

later is reduced by two-thirds compared to people trav-

elling in cars built 20 or 30 years earlier.

This is mainly because airbags and other safety sys-

tems have been continuously improved, and also because

car cabins are now stronger than before and better able

to withstand the forces unleashed in a collision.

Active safety systems with automatic braking

in the risk of accidents also improve safety by

reducing the force of impact or, in the best-

case scenario, even entirely avoiding an

accident in the first place.

None of these improvements would

have been made without research. And

crash-test dummies still have an impor-

tant part to play in this research, as does

all the knowledge gleaned from studying

real-life crashes.

Body proportions, birth to adulthood

newborn 2 years 6 years 12 years adult

Source: Burdi et al, 1969

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VULNERABLE PASSENGERSBabies and children are especially fragile passengers. Relative to

the rest of their bodies, their heads are large and heavy. The head

of a nine-month-old baby, for instance, makes up 25 per cent of

its total weight. By way of comparison, the head of an adult male

only constitutes six per cent of total body weight. A baby’s head

has quite different proportions too. Its face is relatively small com-

pared with the rest of its head.

If a baby or child suffers head injuries, it often entails brain

damage, which is usually much more serious than facial injuries.

Head injuries in babies are frequently more severe because their

skulls are thinner than an adult’s, providing less protection for

the brain.

SOFT SKELETON

The neck vertebrae of a new-born baby are composed of sep-

arate portions of bone joined by cartilage. In other words, the

baby’s skeleton is still soft. This cartilage turns into bone over the

first three years of the baby’s life.

The process of cartilage hardening into bone continues right

up until puberty. There is similar gradual development of the

muscles and ligaments in the neck.

Human neck vertebrae also change shape progressively

through out the years as a person grows, from the horizontal

verte brae of the small child to the saddle-shaped ones of the

adult. Being saddle-shaped also means that the vertebrae inter-

Development of the neck vertebrae

0–12 months

1–3 years

3–6 years

adult

side view top viewbonecartilage

Source: Burdi et al, 1969

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lock and support each another if the head is thrown

forward. The young child lacks this extra protection.

Another factor which makes a child more vulnerable

is the fact that its pelvis is still relatively undeveloped.

Apart from overall size, one key difference between

the pelvis of a child and that of an adult is that the dis-

tinctive hip bone structure called the iliac crest is not fully

developed in the child.

The size and shape of the wearer’s hips has a direct

bearing on the way the safety belt stays in place. The

shape of the iliac crest in adult hips helps keep the lap belt

low down in the event of a crash, preventing it from riding

up and possibly damaging the internal organs.

The human pelvis remains relatively rounded in

shape until the child reaches about ten years old. The

iliac crest does not develop its more angular adult shape

until puberty.

REARWARDS SAFER FOR ALL

The safest way of travelling in a car is rearwards. It would

actually be better for all of us to sit facing the rear of the

car, but given the existing designs of our cars, this is not

feasible for adults. Young children, however, can and should

travel facing the rear of the car for as long as possible.

In a frontal impact collision, the head of a forward-

facing car occupant is thrown forward with considera-

ble force. Its momentum propels it downwards onto the

breastbone and then back up again. An adult neck can

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CHILD OCCUPANT FATALITIESNo. of child occupant fatalities per 1,000,000 children

GermanySweden

0

1

2

3

4

5

Infants 1 2 3 4 years

withstand this strain relatively well, but a small child’s neck

cannot.

Given that frontal impact collisions are the common-

est type of crash and often the most serious type too, it

is particularly important for very young children to sit in

rearward-facing seats.

STRAIN DISTRIBUTEDThe idea of rearward-facing car seats for children came

from Sweden in the 1960s, the brainchild of Professor

Bertil Aldman of Chalmers University of Technology in

Gothenburg.

Professor Aldman took his inspiration from the special

seats used by Gemini mission astronauts during take-off

and landing, which were moulded to distribute G forces

across the whole back. The principle behind rearward-

facing child car seats is exactly the same. In the event of a

frontal impact collision, the whole of the child’s back takes

the strain of the impact, not just its much weaker neck.

SWEDEN FIRST

Thanks to Professor Aldman, rearward-facing child seats

came into widespread use in Sweden much earlier than

elsewhere. The benefits are reflected in crash statistics.

Research on data from insurance company

Folksam, for instance, shows that the risk of a young

child being killed or seriously injured is

five times greater in a forward-facing

seat than in a rearward-facing one.

If you compare Swedish crash statis-

tics with those of countries where most

children travel facing forwards, the

differences are striking.

Source: National statistics (ref. Carlsson et al. 2013)

One example is Germany: Note in

particular the differences at one year

old. That is the age when German

children start using forward-facing

child seats, whereas more Swedish

children travel in rearward-facing

seats until the age of three or four.

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19

20

Unrestrained Adult safety belt only

Booster cushion/seat

Rearward facing baby/child seat

INJURY RISKS PER RESTRAINT TYPE

68%77%

90%

0

2

4

6

8

10

%

Children aged 0–15 in Volvo cars in Sweden

0

25

50

75

%

TYPES OF RESTRAINT USAGE 1976–2012

1980 1990 2000 2010

UnrestrainedRearward facing baby/child seatBooster cushion/seat Adult safety belt only

Children aged 0–15 in Volvo cars in Sweden

DOCUMENTING THE DIFFERENCEVolvo has been working with Professor Aldman ever since

he became involved in child safety. One of the fruits of this

collaboration was the rearward-facing child seat launched

by Volvo in 1972, a first in the car industry.

The Volvo Traffic Accident Research Team has been

investigating and collecting data on Swedish road crashes

involving relatively new Volvos ever since the early 1970s.

The team’s findings are added to a database which, to date,

has documented more than 42,000 crashes, involving over

70,000 people in all. A unique resource for researchers

wanting to establish more facts about child safety.

THOUSANDS OF CASES STUDIED

Between 1976 and 2012, more than 6,500 children aged

0–15 were involved in such crashes. Over the same period,

the use of safety belts and child seats increased drama-

tic ally, from about 25% in 1976 to almost 100% in the ten

most recent years. The risk of a child sustaining injuries

as a car occupant has decreased continuously over the

years, which is a result of both increased use of restraints

and improved vehicle safety.

HEIGHTENED PROTECTION

The effects of the increased use of restraints are plainly

reflected in injury statistics. The type of protection system

used is obviously very important. In terms of preventing

Source: Volvo Cars Accident Data Base (Jakobsson et al. 2005)

Source: Volvo Cars Accident Data Base

21

injuries of moderate level or higher for children aged 0-15,

using a standard adult safety belt provides approximately

68% better protection than using no restraint at all.

The corresponding injury-reducing effects, as com-

pared to those with no restraint, is as high as 90% for

children using rearward facing child seats and 77% for

children using boosters.

It is also important for children to use a type of child

restraint suitable for their current age, height and weight.

FAQS ON REARWARD-FACING SEATSHow long should children go on using

rearward-facing seats?

Young children should continue to use rearward-facing

seats for as long as possible. A child should only switch

to a forward-facing seat when it has grown out of its

seat or when its head extends beyond the top of the

seat. It is recommended that children go on using

rearward-facing seats until they are three years old, but

preferably longer. The older a child is, the stronger its

neck will have grown. In addition, the taller a child is, the

smaller its head will be in relation to the rest of its body.

Not being able to stretch out its legs fully will not

affect the child’s safety.

Why is this so important?

Because a child’s vulnerable neck cannot withstand the

strain involved if the head is flung forward in a frontal

impact collision. In a forward-facing seat, the neck is

subjected to very substantial forces. In a rearward-

facing seat, these forces are distributed across the

whole of the child’s back and head. The forces arising in

rear-end collisions are generally not as high.

What do I need to think about when buying

a child car seat?

Firstly, the seat must be suitable for your car.

Secondly, the seat must be labelled to show that it

has the requisite type approval. See page 31 for more

information on type approval standards and labelling.

How do you fit a rearward-facing child seat?

Follow the specific instructions carefully. ISOFix is a

standardised anchorage system which often makes it

easier to fit child car seats. The rigid ISOFix

attachments provide a confirmation (clicking sound

and green indication) when correct installation is

achieved.

A child seat secured using the car’s own safety belt

is as safe as one secured using the ISOFix attachments.

Just make sure the safety belt is securely tightened.

Many Volvo cars also feature additional anchorage

points in the front seat floor rails for easy attachment

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!of extra tethers for large rearward facing seats. If you

encounter any problems, ask the seat retailer for help.

Which is the safest place in the car for a child?

In a Volvo, all passenger seat positions are equally safe,

but there will probably be other factors influencing

your choice of location. Many people prefer to have

their child within reach, i.e. in the front passenger seat.

However, if there is an activated passenger airbag in

front of that seat, the child seat must definitely not be

installed there. The rear seat is consequently the only

option if the front seat has an activated passenger

airbag. In some cars, the passenger airbag can be

switched off when required. Your car may have a switch

for this purpose – check the owner’s manual for

instructions.

Can you be sure that the airbag really has been

switched off or disabled?

Yes, the Volvo Passenger Airbag Cut Off Switch

(PACOS) is safe and reliable. However, you do have to

check carefully that the switch is definitely in the OFF

position. If you have any doubts about whether the

airbag is really disabled, contact your authorised

dealership. Check the options for your brand of car and

the regulations that apply in your country.

For Volvo models sold in the USA there is a sensor in

the seat that switches off the airbag if a child seat or a

child is placed in the front passenger seat.

REARWARD-FACING

FOR AS LONG

AS POSSIBLE

23

24

25

!V T I - 1 2 3 4

max 25kg

ww

w.vt

i.se

Do side airbags pose any risk to my child?

No, Volvo side airbags are designed to keep your child

from harm in a collision, as long as he or she is travelling

in an appropriate rearward-facing child seat. So take

care always to strap your child in correctly.

Does it pose any harm if for instance a child plays

with a doll or watches a film on a hand-held

device?

Unsecured items can turn into dangerous projectiles in

a collision. Ensure an upright seating position for the

child with the belt positioned correctly.

What should I do if my child doesn’t want to sit

in its seat?

Stop and take a break.

What should I do if my child falls asleep with its

head hanging at a sharp angle?

If it appears not to bother the child, it probably looks

worse than it is. If it bothers you, you can always stop

and prop up the child’s head with a pillow or cushion.

In Sweden there is a certification called ”Plus test”.

What is this?

”Plus test” is a voluntary certification which evaluates

child test-dummy neck loads in the ordinary certifica-

FOLLOW THE

INSTALLATION

INSTRUCTIONS

CAREFULLY

26

tion test. By choosing a seat with a “Plus test” label you

know that it will protect the neck of the child in a crash,

something which is not evaluated in the regulatory

testing.

TIME TO LOOK FORWARDSooner or later the child will outgrow its rearward- facing

child seat. This is generally at around three or four years

old. It is now time for him or her to travel facing forwards,

seated on a booster cushion with or without a backrest,

also called booster seat. Make sure that the booster cush-

ion’s guiding device is designed to keep the lap belt low

down in front of the hips and across the tops of the thighs.

These projections also help keep the booster cushion in

place in a collision.The child and booster are always re-

strained by using the three-point safety belt. Some boost-

er cushions can also be attached to the vehicle using the

ISOFix anchorages. Some cars, including a number of Vol-

vo models, have their own integrated booster cushions –

a very user-friendly form of child restraint.

In cars without head restraints, a booster cushion with

a backrest will provide support for the child’s head in the

event of a rear-end collision. Child restraints of these

types also generally make the legs of smaller children

more comfortable, and any side projections built into the

top of the backrest section can provide the child’s head

with lateral support, especially when sleeping. Different

types of torso side projections also help the child sit more

comfortably and supported, depending on the size and

behaviour of the child.

Having a backrest for the booster cushion can also

help the safety belt stay comfortably in place in the

mid-shoulder position.

NOT TOO FAR OUT ON THE SHOULDER

When a child is buckled in using a three-point safety belt,

it is important for the belt to be positioned correctly. The

main reason for using a booster cushion is not to help the

child to see more, but rather to achieve the right belt

geometry. Furthermore, the less slack there is, the bet-

ter the belt will protect your child.

The booster cushion is there to raise the child higher,

to bring the safety belt into a better position across the

hips or thighs. The lap section of the belt must always be

worn as low down as possible, and not across the stom-

ach. The diagonal section of the belt should sit firmly

across the shoulder and chest, preferably lying com-

fortably on mid-shoulder. Remove any slack after you

have fastened the child’s safety belt. It is not harmful if

the belt is partly on the child’s neck. It may not look very

comfortable, but it certainly won’t strangle the child if

there is a crash.

27

If the car were to stop abruptly, the child’s head would

move forward and the belt would move further out onto

the shoulder. The risk of injury is much greater if the

diagonal belt is worn too far out on the shoulder. This

could allow it to slip further down the arm in the event of

a crash, increasing the risk of head impact and injuries to

the soft parts of the chest and belly. With the belt now

too far down the arm, the child would not be restrained

as well as it should be.

NEVER UNDER THE ARMS

Under no circumstances should the child travel with the

diagonal belt under both arms. In a crash, the upper body

of the child would not be properly restrained, causing an

increased risk of head impacts as well as the safety belt

penetrating the softer parts of the chest and belly. There

would also be a greater risk of chest or stomach injuries

because the human skeleton is weaker lower down the

thorax. The safety belt provides optimum protection if

it is placed across the stronger body parts, such as the

pelvis, ribcage and shoulder.

Never use an ordinary soft cushion or pillow in place

of a proper booster cushion. An ordinary cushion would

be too soft and would not be properly anchored like a

booster cushion is. In a crash situation, a cushion would

simply be flattened, causing the child to slip forward, out

under the lap belt.

FAQS ON FORWARD-FACING CHILD RESTRAINTSWhen can I move my child to a forward-facing

child restraint system?

When the child has grown out of its rearward-facing

seat, i.e. when the top of its head is no longer within the

child seat, or is touching the top, depending on the type

of seat you have. The child should be at least three

years old, preferably older.

What should I look for when choosing a booster

cushion, with or without a backrest?

One that is suitable for your type of car, comfortable for

your child, and labelled with the correct type approval.

Is a booster cushion just as good as a booster

cushion with backrest?

Smaller children will generally find that a booster

cushion with a backrest is more comfortable for their

legs. In cars without head restraints, a booster cushion

with a backrest will provide extra support behind the

head. If there are side projections built into the top of

the child’s backrest, these can help provide support to a

sleeping child. Otherwise, in a safe car, provided the

safety belt is correctly positioned on the child’s body,

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!the level of protection will be the same, with or without

a backrest section for the booster cushion.

My booster seat backs up against the head

restraint, creating a gap between the two. Is this

still safe?

The car’s own safety belt makes this perfectly safe. It is

the car’s safety belt that absorbs the incoming force

during harsh braking or in a collision. The headrest’s

position may mean that the booster seat has a more

upright stance that may be perceived as less

comfortable, but the fact is that from the safety

viewpoint it is equally good provided the car’s safety

belt is correctly positioned.

How do you position the safety belt correctly?

The diagonal belt should go down across the shoulder,

closer to the neck than the edge of the shoulder. It

doesn’t matter if the belt is partly on the child’s neck. It

is dangerous to position the belt too far out on the

shoulder: if the worst comes to the worst, the top of the

child’s body could slide out over the belt in a crash. For

the same reason, you should never let your child wear

the diagonal belt under both arms. The lap belt needs

to be worn across the hips or thighs. For most types of

accessory booster cushion, the belt needs to be held

DIAGONAL BELT

NEVER UNDER

BOTH ARMS

30

down by the projections on the booster cushion itself to

keep the booster in position as well.

There should be no slack present in either the

diagonal or the lap belt. Remove any slack after you

fasten the child’s safety belt.

Are boosters attached in the ISOFix anchors

better than those without?

The booster’s attachment to the vehicle does not

influence the protection provided by the booster and

safety belt. The anchorage in the ISOFix attachments

helps secure the booster in place even when it is not

being used. In both cases it is the safety belt that

secures the child in the restraint.

Could a child ever use an ordinary cushion

instead of a booster cushion, perhaps in

someone else’s car?

No. An ordinary cushion is too soft. In a crash it could

slip forwards or be flattened. The child would risk

slipping out beneath the belt. The child should always

use a certified booster cushion.

Is it alright for the child to sit on an adult’s

lap instead?

No. Children should never be allowed to travel on laps.

Each child needs a place of its own in the car, and a child

restraint appropriate for its size and age.

Which seat in the car is safest?

In a Volvo all seats are equally safe for children,

provided they are using an appropriate child restraint.

The only exception might be when the front

passenger seat has an airbag which has not been

switched off or disabled.

How tall does a child have to be to travel in the

front passenger seat with a frontal airbag which

has not been switched off or disabled?

Volvo Car Group recommends that the child should be

over 140 centimetres (approx. 4 ft. 7 in.) to sit in the

front passenger seat with a frontal airbag activated, but

this may vary depending on car model.

How long should children go on using a

booster cushion?

It is difficult to give a precise limit. Volvo Car Group

recommends children should use a booster until they

are 140 centimetres tall and ten years old.

The official height recommendations or regulations

vary from country to country. The most important

thing in terms of crash safety is that the lap belt should

be worn correctly across the hips, even after the child

has been travelling in the car for a time and has moved

about in the safety belt.

There should never be any risk of the child sliding

under the belt in the event of a traffic accident. Factors

!EACH CHILD NEEDS

A SUITABLE FORM

OF CHILD RESTRAINT

31

here will be the child’s size (height and hip size), age

(hip development) and the car’s specific safety belt

geometry. Volvo Car Group’s accident research shows

that children aged up to ten should use a booster

cushion, but that eleven and twelve-year-olds also

benefit from travelling on one.

What do I do if my child won’t sit on the

booster cushion?

You must persuade him or her.

WHAT IS REQUIRED BY LAW?The regulations governing which seats children of various

ages may use in cars vary from country to country, as do

the prescribed types of child restraint.

Children travelling in cars should always use an ap pro -

priate type of child restraint, correctly fastened.

TYPE APPROVAL AND LABELLING

Type approval standards and labels vary from country

to country. In Europe and a number of other countries,

child and baby seats must be marked with an E, which

stands for ECE approval. This means that they com-

ply with the appropriate UN ECE regulation for child

restraints and are approved for use in countries which

apply this standard.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON VOLVO CHILD RESTRAINTS

Contact your nearest

Volvo dealership.

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! THE ELEPHANT IN THE REAR SEATOf course, there are always some people who don’t buckle up, some of the time. Perhaps neglecting to

put on their own safety belts, or to properly buckle up their kids before they drive off. Maybe it doesn’t

seem a long journey at all. Perhaps the child is fractious and it seems impossible to make it stay in the

child seat long enough to fasten the straps. Or perhaps they think… it’s just around town, and we won’t

be driving very fast.

But… at a speed of only 40 km/h (just under 25 mph), a child who normally weighs only 30 kg

(66 pounds) will suddenly weigh the equivalent of a tonne in the event of a collision with an unyielding

object.

That’s a metric tonne – 2,204 pounds!

DANGER TO OTHER OCCUPANTS

If a child is unrestrained in the rear seat, he or she risks serious injury or even death if the car collides

head-on. And anyone in the seat in front risks having this great weight unleashed on them from within

the car, with equally serious consequences. Or the child could even go straight through the windscreen

and hit the object that stopped the car dead in its tracks – a scenario every bit as terrifying as the first.

A few more comparisons to bear in mind:

Travelling unrestrained and then crashing at just 15 km/h (9.3 mph) is rather like climbing up onto

a dining chair and letting yourself fall headlong onto the floor.

But if the car is going at 20 km/h (12.4 mph), the severity of the crash is more like arranging four

dining chairs one on top of the other before you let yourself fall.

To visualise a crash at 30 km/h (18.6 mph), imagine arranging eight chairs, one on top of another,

before you take the plunge.

Eight chairs make quite a tower – and quite a fall. Yet 30 km/h doesn’t seem very fast at all. It’s less

than the new 20 mph speed limit in some residential areas in the UK, for instance. Even ‘ just around

town’, most of us drive faster than that.

So… please use those safety belts and child restraints.

Always.

For everyone in the car.

SAFETY BELTS OR

CHILD RESTRAINTS

FOR ALL

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Burdi, Huelke, Snyder and Lowrey, Infants and children in the adult world of

automobile safety design: Pediatric and anatomical considerations for

design of child restraints, Journal of Biomechanics, Vol. 2, 1969

Carlsson, Strandroth, Bohman et al. Review of child car occupant fatalities

in Sweden during six decades, IRCOBI conf., 2013

Gustafsson, Cosini, Barns färd i bil, VTI rapport 716, the Swedish Road and

Transport Research Institute (VTI) 2011

Isaksson-Hellman, Jakobsson, Gustafsson and Norin, Trends and effects of

child restraint systems based on Volvo’s Swedish accident database,

SAE Technical Paper, Series No. 973299, 1997

Isaksson-Hellman and Norin, How thirty years of focused safety

development has influenced injury outcome in Volvo cars, Proceedings

of the 49th annual AAAM conference, USA, 2005

Jakobsson, Isaksson-Hellman and Lundell, Safety for the growing child

– Experiences from Swedish accident data, 19th ESV conference,

Washington DC, 2005

Jakobsson, Lechelt, Walkhed, Balance of vehicle and child seat protection

for the older children in child restraints, International conference on

protection of children in cars, München, 2012

Tarriere, Children are not miniature adults, IRCOBI conference, 1995

Tingvall, Children in cars. Some aspects of the safety of children as car

passengers in road traffic accidents. Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica

supplement, 339, 1987

Turbell, Thomas, The Swedish approach to child safety in cars, the Swedish

Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), 2002

The descriptions and facts in this publication relate to Volvo Car Group’s

international model range. The cars, baby and child seats and other accessories

available may differ from country to country. The manufacturer reserves the

right to make changes at any time and without prior notice.

REFERENCES

has been produced by Volvo Car Group

to help all those who carry child

passengers – parents, taxi drivers, or

anyone else – reach a better under-

standing of child safety matters.

Editor: Malin Persson,

Volvo Car Group

Photography: Lars Ardarve

Graphics: Martin Gradén

Layout: Studio Desktop AB,

www.desktop.se

Printing: Elanders Sverige AB,

Mölnlycke, 2013 Sweden PA/P

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A safety manual

CHILDRENCARS&